a) Wash the cage and everything inside and outside the cage: toys, perches, food and water dishes, etc., with soap, (unscented, and non- 5 steps you must follow to clean and disinfect your parakeet's cage Health Care toxic). Remove all the soiling, and rinse well with water. b) Next, clean everything with a bleach solution. You should apply the bleach solution ,or wipe the cage and everything else with it, and leave it on, for about 10 min. This has to be followed by thorough rinsing, with clear water. (You can make a bleach solution, by using 1 part bleach and 4 parts water.) Ask your vet if you can use this. c) Let everything dry thoroughly in the sun, or wipe clean, and dry. You can also use a warm oven, for this purpose. d) Items that cannot be washed, such as cuttlebones and mineral blocks, must be replaced. e) All cloth used must be thrown away. Completely clean and disinfect your parakeet's things, once a year. If your parakeet was treated for an infection or any disease, clean and disinfect (or throw) everything your pet came in contact with, as Health Care To prevent egg-binding, feed the parakeet a breakfast-cup full of seeds, mixed with a teaspoon full of cod liver oil. soon as possible. And if your bird was treated for parasite infestation, then do the cleaning, once at the start, and again at the end, of the treatment. As the name indicates, this happens only in hens. And that too, mainly when the birds are mated earlier in the year, with the days cold and the nights even colder. Therefore, as the old adage goes, prevention is better than the cure. To prevent egg-binding, feed the parakeet a breakfast-cup full of seeds, mixed with a teaspoon full of cod liver oil. Treatment of egg-binding also involves heat. The bird can either be placed in a draped cage kept near fire, or placed in a hospital cage, where the temperature can be regulated. If there is an emergency, the bird should be wrapped in a warm towel, and held near fire. And when the parakeet has partially recovered, it must be placed in its cage near a fire, and be left alone. Eggs are expected to be laid, under these conditions. Egg-binding Health Care Parakeet exercise Regardless of how big or comfortable the cage is, your parakeet is going to need its time, outside the cage. To keep your bird healthy and happy, let it fly out, as often as possible. This could be three times in a week, but daily is better. Before letting the bird out, ensure that you have parakeet-proofed the entire room, or that area of the house. Still better, read the chapter on parakeet safety. Once a daily routine has been established, remember to let your parakeet out the same time every day, even if you see it sitting only on the top of its cage for a while. You should let your parakeet out at least for an hour everyday but ideally the bird must be able to fly in and out as it pleases. The safety of the bird is of utmost importance when it is out of the cage. And this, you must never forget. Health Care Health Care 6 must-do things before you take your parakeet to the vet a) Isolate the bird; this is essential to prevent the spread of the mites. |